Hanoi determined to solve environmental pollution issue

Updated at Thursday, 13 Sep 2018, 15:46

The Hanoitimes - According to the Hanoi People`s Committee’s report, making mechanisms and policies on natural resource management and environmental protection is gradually being finalized. In particular, functional agencies’ capacity of management, inspection on environmental protection has been improved.

As challenges of environmental pollution become more and more alarming, Hanoi is gathering solutions and resources to solve the issue in the city by 2020 and the coming years.

In the first six months of 2018, the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DoNRE) has continued to set up four inspection teams in 22 production facilities and a number of investment projects in the city. At the same time, the department reviews, checks and identifies black spots of environmental pollution in the city.

Hanoi determines to solve environmental pollution issue

From now until the end of the year, the DoNRE will continue to classify and assess pollution level in the black spots to propose solutions for pollution remediation.

Not only focusing on improving management, Hanoi has also implemented many specific and practical solutions. Currently, the city has completed research and proposed the network of air monitoring in the city from 34 to 37 observation stations. Ten automated air-monitoring stations have been put into operation, the results have been publicized on the media so that people could monitor the daily air quality in the capital.

Notably, Hanoi has implemented the program of planting a million trees. In the first seven months of 2018, up to 342,000 trees have been planted in the city. Since 2016, 844,000 trees have been planted, reaching 84.4% of the program’s target.

Under the project of "Strengthening management of road vehicles to reduce traffic congestion and environmental pollution in Hanoi from 2017 to 2020, with vision to 2030", the city has also deployed six solution groups with 45 solutions that were synchronously implemented in three phases, preparing the necessary conditions for stopping motorbikes in Hanoi’s districts by 2030.

In addition, Hanoi also focuses on transportation development in the direction of using public transport, limiting the use of personal vehicles.

Hanoi has allocated budget to timely and effectively carry out tasks on environmental protection for the past time. Recent results show that the city’s total budget expenditures for environmental solutions was VND13,528 billion (US$581.7 million) in 2017 and VND24,015 billion (US$1.03 billion) in 2018.

The Hanoi People's Committee has instructed its DoNRE to coordinate with related departments and agencies in order to attract capable enterprises to solve the pressing environmental issues in the city, use corporate capital in solving the environmental issues and guide plans and tasks of environmental protection in Hanoi for 2019.